GUN Tom DeLay Tries to Regain Gun Permit

Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, is fighting to regain his concealed handgun permit after it was suspended because of his indictment on felony charges.

A justice of the peace suspended DeLay's license in January after the former majority leader was indicted last year. A judge dismissed a conspiracy charge, but DeLay still faces a felony charge of money laundering.

Under state law, the Texas Department of Public Safety can suspend a handgun license if its holder has been charged with certain misdemeanors or higher.

DeLay, a vocal gun rights proponent, has appealed the suspension and has asked for a new hearing after missing a Jan. 26 court date.

"Without objection, they [the Department of Public Safety] presented a copy of an indictment," Justice of the Peace Jim Richard said. "And that was about it for the case."

Steve Brittain, one of DeLay's Austin attorneys, filed the appeal March 14. A hearing date has not been set.

Steve Moninger, an attorney for the Department of Public Safety, which administers the handgun licensing law, said the state will contest the appeal.

"We are going to keep going. Our function is to enforce the statute," Moninger said.

Brittain did not return telephone messages left Monday.

DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty said neither Brittain nor DeLay was able to make the original court hearing.

Flaherty would not say whether DeLay needs a handgun permit. In a written statement, she said, "As for whether or not he carries it - that's the point of having a CHL [concealed handgun license] in Texas, potential criminals should assume everyone is."

The indictment cost DeLay his leadership post. He won his Republican primary election earlier this month and faces former Democratic Rep. Nick Lampson in the Nov. 7 general election.

Associated Press.

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I thought this was intresting. It is too bad more people in power are not held accountable for their actions. But, I do respect his right to appeal; so I have one foot on each side. (but I hope his appeal is not granted)

But I was just saying in general... felons should be able to buy guns...

I guess to start if off we should just allow non-violent, non-repeat felons to buy guns. I think it's retarded how the the ATF or FBI, forgot which, has a program for people with non-violent felony charges to get their firearm ban lifted but it doesn't get any funding so it's not open...

If parole boards knew some of these guy's could go out and buy firearms when released, then they'd probably reconsider releasing some of these people who just got out and commit a crime again.

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Not all felons get jail time! You can receive as little as probation or counseling with a felony conviction if there isn't enough evidence to go after a harsher sentence. It doesn't mean they don't think that you are not dangerous. Sometimes they just CAN'T keep you off of the streets no matter what. Plus there is the issue of jail overcrowding. It's not black and white

If parole boards knew that the convicted felons they want to release will easily be able to go buy a gun, the parole board would probably be a lot more hesitant in releasing the felon especially if he was convicted of a violent crime.

Not all felons get jail time! You can receive as little as probation or counseling with a felony conviction if there isn't enough evidence to go after a harsher sentence. It doesn't mean they don't think that you are not dangerous. Sometimes they just CAN'T keep you off of the streets no matter what. Plus there is the issue of jail overcrowding. It's not black and white

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Then they can be more selective about who actually gets jail time and who gets other sentences. I don't think some non-violent felons need to be in jail, they could just be put under house arrest and when it's over, their rights are restored.

Our jails are overcrowded anyway aren't they?

Prisoners in Angola that become trustees I think should be out and are fully capable of beign legal owners of firearms. The ones that I've heard speak sound like they know what they did and know why they're in jail. They also get to leave the prison, stand out in the public with maybe one or no guards around with many chances to just run off, and they don't. They also work around the prison with no constant supervision. Some even live alone in a house on the edge of the prison and take care of the police dogs. They are reformed... If only they could find a way to get more people to be like them...

You're 18 years old. You grew up poor and you have a bunch of gangbanger friends. You rob a liquor store one day with a gun. You get caught and convicted. You go to jail for several years. You don't want to go back so you decide to clean up your act. You get out of jail and have no problems during your probation. 20 years later you've had no other legal problems. You've got a family and a respectable job. You shouldn't be able to own a gun to protect yourself?

I'm not saying that a person should get his rights back at some point way down the road. Once he's out of prison and he's finished his probation he should be able to get a fucking gun. He's repayed his debt to society. If he fucks up again then he gets nailed 10 times harder.

As it stands now if someone wants to get a gun and commit a crime then they can with no problem (ilegally). It's the ones that want to clean up their act and don't want to be criminals anymore that won't get their guns. It follows the same line of thought as "if you make guns illegal then only criminals will have guns".

If you commit a violent crime with a gun then you go to jail for a long time and you're on probation for a very long time after you finally get out. It's not like we'd be handing them guns as they walk out the fucking door of the prison.

So you're in favor of allowing a violent convicted felon such as a child rapist/murderer to be able to walk into a gunshop and legally purchase a gun just because they served their 25 years and got out?

So you're in favor of allowing a violent convicted felon such as a child rapist/murderer to be able to walk into a gunshop and legally purchase a gun just because they served their 25 years and got out?

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Yep. If someone wants to get a gun they'll get it illegally. The law's not stopping them if they have no respect for it. If they DO have respect for it and they're reformed then they should be able to buy a gun legally. They did their time.

You're 18 years old. You grew up poor and you have a bunch of gangbanger friends. You rob a liquor store one day with a gun. You get caught and convicted. You go to jail for several years. You don't want to go back so you decide to clean up your act. You get out of jail and have no problems during your probation. 20 years later you've had no other legal problems. You've got a family and a respectable job. You shouldn't be able to own a gun to protect yourself?

I'm not saying that a person should get his rights back at some point way down the road. Once he's out of prison and he's finished his probation he should be able to get a fucking gun. He's repayed his debt to society. If he fucks up again then he gets nailed 10 times harder.

As it stands now if someone wants to get a gun and commit a crime then they can with no problem (ilegally). It's the ones that want to clean up their act and don't want to be criminals anymore that won't get their guns. It follows the same line of thought as "if you make guns illegal then only criminals will have guns".

If you commit a violent crime with a gun then you go to jail for a long time and you're on probation for a very long time after you finally get out. It's not like we'd be handing them guns as they walk out the fucking door of the prison.